Huseng wrote:Taking refuge precepts is what initiates the path to Buddhahood.

Did Buddha take refuge precepts?

Logically, I don't believe he was able to be a 'Buddhist' and take Refuge or vows relating to himself, as a follower of himself.

Perhaps a better question is 'Did Buddha teach his followers to do so?'.

Things evolve with time and are codified into lists of things we should strive to do and things we should strive not to do, as lay or ordained Buddhists.

A chronological list would be useful to help us understand when Refuge in the 3 Jewels was first mentioned, and when all these lists of vows were first taught and adopted.

Maybe someone familiar with the Pali canon has such a source. Wiki offers this:''The expression Three Gems are found in the earliest Buddhist literature of the Pali Canon, besides other works there is one sutta in the Sutta-nipata, called the Ratana-sutta[6] which contains a series of verses on the Jewels in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.''

The Sutta mentioned has this to say (from Access to Insight):

''Whatever beings (non-human) are assembled here, terrestrial or celestial, come let us salute the Buddha, the Tathagata (the perfect One), honored by gods and men. May there be happiness.

"Whatever beings are assembled here, terrestrial or celestial, come let us salute the perfect Dhamma, honored by gods and men. May there be happiness.

"Whatever beings are assembled here, terrestrial or celestial, come let us salute the perfect Sangha, honored by gods and men. May there be happiness."

Huseng wrote:Taking refuge precepts is what initiates the path to Buddhahood.

Did Buddha take refuge precepts?

Taking refuge and the precepts is one thing, taking the Bodhisattva vow is another. The Buddha (according to Mahayana) took the Bodhisattva vow in some prior life. In his final life he did not take precepts because

a) before his awakening he had not yet (re)discovered the teachings, which means there were were no precepts b) after his awakening he would have been free of afflictions so he wouldn't have needed them.

Anyway, I've informally taken precepts. I've *recited* the Bodhisattva vows where that's been the practice, but I wouldn't say I've really taken them.

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." –Arundhati Roy

In Mahayana terms, and much of non-Mahayana buddhism too, Sakyamuni had been taking refuge in the Triple Gem for many, many lifetimes whenever he lived at a time when the Triple Gem existed. In other times, he often lived as a spiritual practitioner, upholding the teaching of karmic cause and effect as minimum.

Huifeng wrote:In Mahayana terms, and much of non-Mahayana buddhism too, Sakyamuni had been taking refuge in the Triple Gem for many, many lifetimes whenever he lived at a time when the Triple Gem existed. In other times, he often lived as a spiritual practitioner, upholding the teaching of karmic cause and effect as minimum.

Now that is truly interesting. Does that imply that karmic cause-effect teachings extend beyond the modern day construct that it is "Buddhism" with all the assorted trappings of this or that form that vary per tradition?

If the underlying heart of the teachings is beyond mahayana/non-mahayana or any later articulated form and elaborated "-ism" that inevitably emerges from any teaching of substance, then taking refuge or practicing the dharma for that matter does not have to inherently have a sociocentric orientation. Or does it?

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." –Arundhati Roy

Huseng wrote:Taking refuge precepts is what initiates the path to Buddhahood.

Did Buddha take refuge precepts?

In some past life yes.

Is there a scriptural reference for this, please? I ask because it is likely that he told Sangha to take Refuge in the Dharma he revealed, and in each other as Sangha.

If Buddha advised them to take Refuge in him, does this require his impermanence? You can't take Refuge in a dead person, so it implies that Buddha is still a sentient being and a suitable object of Refuge.

Did Shakyamuni say that he took refuge in himself as a Buddha?

You mention a past life, within which Buddha took Refuge - in which Buddha?

You have produced an interesting ideas, but without scriptural reference it is speculative. Is there a source for this attributable to Buddha?

This is somewhat related to the thread on the Brahma Net Sutra actually -- that Shakyamuni has an original teacher who taught the Bodhisattva vows.

Let me quote Fazang's remarks on the relevant passage again:

初法應爾故者。1. The Dharma responds as such.

謂此菩薩三聚淨戒既為道場直路種覺圓因。是故一切諸佛出興于世利樂眾生皆依古法。These three sets of pure precepts of the Bodhisattvas are the direct route to the site of enlightenment and the perfect cause for omniscience, therefore all the Buddhas manifesting in the world to benefit beings all rely on this ancient Dharma.

法爾、初時結於菩薩波羅提木叉、為宗本之要。The Dharma being such: the first time one binds oneself to the Bodhisattva prātimokṣa is a requisite for the [ascertaining of the] origin of truth.

如大王路法爾常規故須說也。Like the Great King’s Way – the law being such, it is always regulated, so it must be explained.

是故下云。各坐菩提樹誦我本師戒。Thus it is stated below, “Each sit under the Bodhi tree and recite my original teacher’s precepts.”

《梵網經》卷2：「各坐菩提樹誦我本師戒」(CBETA, T24, no. 1484, p. 1004, a8-9)

又云。是盧舍那誦。我亦如是誦。Again it is said, “This Vairocana recites. I too recite it like this.”

《梵網經》卷2：「是盧舍那誦我亦如是誦」(CBETA, T24, no. 1484, p. 1004, a12)解云。既佛本師戒。復但云誦不言說者。明則本法非新制也。When it says, “Buddha’s original teacher’s precepts,” it only states recite and does not say elucidate – it is clear that this original teaching is not a new regulation.

又云。三世諸佛已說今說當說。故知同說也。Again it is stated, “The Buddhas of the three realms have taught it, are teaching it and will teach it.” Therefore we know it is the same teaching.

So, it is clear from the Chinese Mahayana perspective Shakyamuni had a former teacher who presumably taught him the Bodhisattva vows which would include refuge vows as well.

Now, according to the Nikaya Pali tradition, of which I'm unfortunately not too well read, we find such remarks as this:All-conquering, all-knowing am I, with regard to all things, unadhering. All-abandoning, released in the ending of craving: having fully known on my own, to whom should I point as my teacher?

However, that doesn't preclude that in a past life Shakyamuni had taken refuge in a past Buddha. In fact Shakyamuni did quote the former Buddha (see the Amagandha sutta).

One other thing I would like to point out is that Maitreya was present in Shakyamuni's assembly and received the prophecy of his future Buddhahood. If I understand correctly, one receives a prophecy of future Buddhahood from a Buddha. In the case of Maitreya he was an ordained member of the sangha, so this would have included refuge vows. We can imagine Shakyamuni as well in a past life was in similar circumstances.

I don't know the Sanskrit title of the following Chinese Agama sutra (it translates as "Sutra of Past and Present Worlds and Times"), but in the passage quoted below Buddha speaks of Maitreya's future enlightenment and becoming a World Honoured Buddha.

An important source can be found here: Abhiniskramana Sutra. Note in particular the story of Sakyamuni's encounter with Dipamkara Buddha, his taking of the full precepts (ie. bhiksu ordination). Also the long lists of Buddha to which the Bodhisattva makes puja of the Dharma, and plants the "wholesome roots".